Strap holder consisting of two elements

ABSTRACT

Clasp for a strap in buckle-type fasteners for ski or mountain boots has first and second elements hinged together at one end to interlock at the other end with the end of the strap and a third element hinged to at least one of the first or second elements for engagement with the closure lever of the fastener.

United States Patent Graup 1 July 25,1972

[54] STRAP HOLDER CONSISTING OF TWO ELEMENTS [72] Inventor: Josei Graup,Klingenweg, 8260 Stein am Rhein, Switzerland 22 Filed: Feb. 25, 19702'11 Appl.No.: 14,117

[30] Foreign Application Priority Data March 3, 1969 Austria ..A 2069/69[52] US. Cl. ..24/70 SK, 24/176 [51] 1nt.Cl ..A43c 11/14 [58] Field ofSearch ..24/68 SK, 69 SK, 70 SK, 191,

[56] References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,259,950 7/1966 Teufel...24/70 SK 1,820,393 8/1931 Kestenman ..24/1 91 3,363,288 1/1968 Langeet 111.... .....24/68 SK 3,393,430 7/1968 Baso ..24/70 SK 1,783,30612/1930 Otten ..24/19l 1,795,609 3/1931 Kreisler ..24/1 91 2,251,4638/1941 Myrberg ..24/26S WS Primary Examiner-Bobby R. Gay AssistantExaminer-Darrell Marquette Au0rney-Kemon. Palmer & Estabrook [57]ABSTRACT Clasp for a strap in buckle-type fasteners for ski or mountainboots has first and second elements hinged together at one end tointerlock at the other end with the end of the strap and a third elementhinged to at least one of the first or second elements for engagementwith the closure lever of the fastener.

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sum 2 ur INVEN {OR I ATTORNEY STRAP HOLDER CONSISTING OF TWO ELEMENTSThis invention relates to a strap holder consisting of two elements fortighteners on ski or mountain boots, comprising a hoop engageable intonotches of a holding device.

With usual holders of this kind it is difficult to engage the strapfastened to the shoe shaft into the holder by its loose end, since thethickness and breadth of this strap vary greatly. This is not onlyinconvenient for the user if he finds it necessary to adjust the strapin length; it is also of disadvantage at the sale of buckle ski bootsand mountain boots, since female shop assistants frequently avoid tooffer shoes of this kind on account of the hand injuries and thebreaking of nails which are often connected with the adjustment of thestraps. The difficulty of engaging straps into holders is also found inthe final fabrication of boots provided with buckles, since fabricationis slowed down and costs are increased.

To eliminate these disadvantages it has been proposed to form the holderof two elements, one of which is resilient; the two elements are to befastened to each other at least on two opposite sides and are to engageinto each other releasably on at least one of these sides. With thedescribed embodiment the strap can be inserted into one element of theopen holder and can be held in the first when the other element ishooked in. It is of disadvantage, however, that the two elements are notconnected with each other; thus one or both holder elements get readilylost if the strap holder opens involuntarily, which so often happenswhen going in for sports.

A strap holder avoiding the aforesaid disadvantages is required, inwhich the strap can be engaged or adjusted readily and rapidly, and theuser is ensured against losing one or both elements of the holder.

This is realized according to the invention in that the two elements ofthe strap holder embracing the strap end in closed condition are inswivel connection and are engageable into each other, the hoop to beengaged into the holding device being in known hinge connection with atleast one of the elements.

A common axis or two common pivot pins are preferably used for swivelingthe hoop and the elements, said axis or said pivot pins being preferablyformed by the ends of the hoop connected to each other. The swivel endof the elements can have the form of a hinge swiveling on the axis if acontinuous axis is used.

A further preferable embodiment provides to arrange the pins serving asswivel axis on one of the two elements, said pins resting rotatably inbores of the other element. Here the hoop is arranged on an independentswivel axis.

The elements can also have the form of U-bent clips with adjoint pieces,in which rest the swivel axis or the pivot pins, the adjoint pieces ofone U-shaped clip being adjacent to these of the other clip; in workingposition, they can be connected with each other by noses on one pieceengaging into bores of the other piece.

A further embodiment of the invention provides that the elements of thestrap holder consist of a plate to which a case is in hinge connectionwhose angular parallel edges embrace said plate; said case is providedwith plugs corresponding to bores in said plate and with notches on itsparallel edges to which correspond bores in raised lashings of theplate. An embodiment is preferable in which the elements of the strapholder consist of a plate and a case in hinge connection, said casebeing engageable into said plate by an arched front side, the angularparallel edges of said case embracing said plate, a hoop to be engagedinto said holding device being hinged to the end of the plate facingaway from the swivel axis for the plate and the case, said plate beingpreferably provided with plugs corresponding to bores in said case onthe end adjacent to said swivel axis.

According to the two last mentioned embodiments the element to beengaged into the support of the tightener consists in that a case-likeplate with bores is provided which is to be engaged into the holdingdevice, a plug of the known holding device being engageable into saidplate.

Further details of the invention are hereinafter described withreference to the accompanying drawings without the invention beinglimited to them. In the drawings:

FIGS. 1 and 2 are oblique perspective views of a first embodiment fromthe top and from the bottom.

FIGS. 3 to 5 are oblique perspective views of a further embodiment fromthe top.

FIG. 6 illustrates a strap holder according to the invention with aholding device, a case with bores being used instead of the hoop to beengaged.

FIG. 7 illustrates an embodiment wherein one element of the strap holdercan be swiveled like a hinge on the hoop serving as a swivel axis. FIGS.6 and 7 are also perspective views.

FIG. 8 shows a strap holder according to the invention, arranged on aboot.

In the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2 the strap holder consistsof elements I and 2, said elements commonly resting by their adjointpieces 9 and 11 on the end of the hoop or bail 3 having the form of aswivel axis 4 and being swiveled independently from each other.

The clip-like front end of the bottom element 1 is provided with teethwhich are pressed into the inserted strap end 10 and engage intoprefabricated bores of the latter, if the strap holder is closed; thusthe clip-like element 1 is embraced from outside by the top element 2 sothat the noses 21 engage into the bores 19 of the top element 2. Thehoop 3 consists, as is known, of a suitably bent steel wire whose endsare welded to each other or firmly and unreleasably connected with eachother in some other way.

In an embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and 2 the common swivel axis 4formed by the hoop 3 is convenient, since the costs of production arevery low.

In FIG. 3, which is similar to the embodiment according to FIGS. 1 and2, the hoop 3 rests independently and the elements 1 and 2 can beswiveled about: a special axis which is formed by plugs 15 on theadjoint piece 9 of the element 2, said plugs resting in bores 16 on theadjoint piece of element 1. The rest corresponds to the firstembodiment.

FIGS. 4 and 5 show embodiments comprising a plate and a case instead ofclip-like elements, said plate corresponding to the element 1 and saidcase to the element 2. In FIG. 4 a common swivel axis for all elementsis provided, said swivel axis being formed by the end of the hoop 3 likein the first embodiment. The end of the plate embraces said axis 4 likea hinge. When the two elements are closed, the noses 5 of the caseengage into bores 6 of raised lashings 18 of the plate, plugs 14 on theinside of the case being passed through corresponding bores in the strapend 10 and being engaged into bores 17 of the plate, thus firmly holdingthe strap ends 10. Thus the parallel edges 13 of the case embrace theplate from outside by their lashings 18.

In the embodiment according to FIG. 5 a plate with a case is used too.Here the hoop 3 rests independently on the end of the plate opposite tothe swivel axis 41 of the elements I, 2. Plugs 7 are provided forholding the strap end 10; however, said plugs are arranged on the plateand can engage into bores 24 on the case; the front side 22 of said caseis arched in such manner that it embraces the support of the hoop 3 andengages into it when the two elements are pressed together. All otherparts correspond to the aforesaid embodiment.

FIG. 6 illustrates a strap holder with a known holding device 8, thebottom element of said strap holder having the form of a case-like plate20 with bores 21. A plug 23 of said holding device 8 is engageable intosaid bores 12. The rest corresponds to the embodiment of FIG. 3.

FIG. 7 shows both elements 1 and 2 arranged in hinge con nection on theswivel axis 4 of the hoop end. This arrangement can also be used in theaforesaid embodiments.

FIG. 8 illustrates the strap holder of the invention arranged on a boot.The single parts correspond to the aforesaid embodiments.

Further embodiments are invention.

What I claim is:

possible within the scopeof the 1. In a ski boot having buckle-typefasteners to tighten the boot upon the foot and ankle of a wearer, astrap having a plurality of spaced-apart holes therein, a closure leverthat is thrown to move the strap into a tightening position and a claspfor said strap, said clasp comprising a pair of U-shaped clips and abent metal wire bail, said clips being hinged at their open ends uponthe portion of said bail that forms the swivel axis for the bail toclose together at their base portions to grasp a portion of said strap,one of said clips having at least one plug to extend through one of saidholes in said strap upon closing together of said clips, said bail beingmovable about said swivel axis for engagement with said closure lever inthe operation of tightening the boot upon the wearer to put substantialtension upon said strap.

2 in a ski boot as claimed in claim 1, a clasp wherein one of said pairof clips has noses on its base portion that extend upon closing of theclasp into bores in the other clip to hold the clips together andinterlock said strap between them.

1. In a ski boot having buckle-type fasteners to tighten the boot uponthe foot and ankle of a wearer, a strap having a plurality ofspaced-apart holes therein, a closure lever that is thrown to move thestrap into a tightening position and a clasp for said strap, said claspcomprising a pair of U-shaped clips and a bent metal wire bail, saidclips being hinged at their open ends upon the portion of said bail thatforms the swivel axis for the bail to close together at their baseportions to grasp a portion of said strap, one of said clips having atleast one plug to extend through one of said holes in said strap uponclosing together of said clips, said bail being movable about saidswivel axis for engagement with said closure lever in the operation oftightening the boot upon the wearer to put substantial tension upon saidstrap.
 2. In a ski boot as claimed in claim 1, a clasp wherein one ofsaid pair of clips has noses on its base portion that extend uponclosing of the clasp into bores in the other clip to hold the clipstogether and interlock said strap between them.